Interviews: MNRVA

This is a new interview with the Doom Metal band MNRVA from the USA. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you plan it or come out just like that? 

We were brainstorming ideas for band names and Gina mentioned the owl of Minerva that flies at dusk, a reference to German idealist philosopher GWF Hegel’s idea that thinking happens after the fact, like the owl that flies over the battlefield to assess and account but always in the aftermath. We saw that there were a number of bands already with that name, and so we started thinking of some unique variations of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and warfare. We dropped a few vowels and came up with MNRVA, pronounced “Minerva.”

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Sometimes you need a dark place to write music from. Gina and I have a band we formed when we first met, and it’s all happy music and upbeat. Artistically, we wanted to delve into something darker than that here. The universe is old, and there are things out there that we can attune ourselves to if we listen. 

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed? 

Yes. Gina and Byron have been colleagues and friends for well over a decade. Gina and I met at a place called Art Bar seven years ago and have been inseparable since.

4. Each band member's favorite band?

Kevin: Motörhead

Gina: Pink Floyd

Byron: Deftones

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

The world around us, whether that be the past or now. Sometimes we pull from mythology and other times just from our imagination. It could be hearing about forgotten people—where there’s not much info to go on—or something enduring, like the wisdom of the ancients. You can build a world from your imagination. I like to find folklore from different parts of the world, whether that be from familiar stories from Greek gods and goddesses to building a story around a totem found in a bog somewhere. 

6. Where was your last gig?

The last gig we had was out in Austin, Texas for the Gravitoyd Heavy Music Festival. It was right before SXSW with a lot of great bands.

7. Where would you like to act?

Gina and I have always talked about doing a makeshift acoustic gig at Pompeii or on one of those beautiful black sand beaches in Iceland. They are very spiritual places. Travel to play in new places. Festivals.

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Monolord, Heilung, Thunder Horse, Ektomorf, Jinjer, Electric Wizard, the list can keep going.

9. Whom not?

We’re down to play with anyone, maybe with the exception of idiots like the Westboro Baptist Church haha.

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that? 

Sort of. I usually get nervous right when we’re about to play, but once the first song is out of the way it feels easy to do it. When you’ve been in enough situations where things go wrong, you just brace yourself so you won’t be surprised. You just have to be willing to adapt to certain situations. Advice would be to just keep practicing and trust yourself enough to believe it paid off for your show. Playing in front of people can be hard if you’re an introvert but it can also be therapeutic.

11. What bands have inspired you the most? 

Heilung, Black Sabbath, Monolord, Electric Wizard, Motörhead, Pentagram, The Melvins, Bereft, this list can also go on.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

Nothing too crazy other than the occasional setlist. Occasionally someone in the crowd will jump on the stage, which is kind of funny and unpredictable. When we play late sets, sometimes the crowd is extra festive from drink and someone will shout out something hilarious that becomes a refrain for the night.

13. What do you think of your fans? 

Of course, we love our fans! Anyone who gives our music a listen, or comes out to one of our shows—what more can one ask? We’re brought together for the same purpose, the love of music. It’s everything, really.

14. What do you think of our site?

Breathing the Core is a wonderful resource. The scope is impressive, bringing together a massive range of genres and subgenres. The number of countries represented is awesome, and it’s great to be able to look up artists from around the globe. Metal is a worldwide phenomenon and we all learn and grow when listening as broadly as possible, both genre and locale. Great site!

15. Something to add?

Our album “Hollow” will be released on May 20 through Black Doomba Records both in digital and CD formats with vinyl to follow. Check out Black Doomba’s MNRVA page (https://mnrva2.bandcamp.com/album/hollow) and our Official Video for the single Hollow (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHRlHx35eJE).